ABOUT DHIKALA ZONE

Dhikala zone has one of the most picturesque and beautiful landscape in the world and the rich wildlife in the area adds to its charm. Dhikala zone if the biggest zone of Corbett national park open for its visitors and provides wonderful chances of game viewing. Dhikala zone gets its name from Dhikala grassland, which is one of the biggest grassland of the national park supporting variety of wildlife. Other than grasslands dhikala zone has sal forests, mixed forest and variety for flaura. Lifeline of the zone is Ramganga river which supports the wildlife in the area and adds to the beauty of the forest.

Dhikala zone offers sighting of variety of wildlife including many rare or endangered species. One of the major attraction of the Dhikala zone is royal Bengal tiger but some of the animals commonly sighted in the dhikala zone are elephants, Spotted deer, Sambar deer, Hog deer, barking deer, common langur, rehusus macaque, wild boar, crocodiles, yellow throated martins, gharials, mahasheer and pythons and snakes. If one is lucky one can also get to see nocturnal creatures like leopard, slot bear, porcupines, and pangolins. Dhikala is also a paradise for birds and one can get to see more than 500 species of birds. More than 300 species of birds are permanent resident of the area. Dhikala zone is highly popular in terms of providing shelter to some of the highly endangered species like hog deers, gharials, otters and golden mahasheer.

Dhikala zone of Corbett national park again tops the chart when it comes for the opportunity to stay inside the national park. There are five rest house/ lodges within dhikala zone, which are run by forest department for staying of the visitors of Corbett national park. Dhikala forest lodge, Gairal Forest lodge, sarapduli forest lodge, khinnanauli forest lodge and sultan forest lodge are the names of rest houses within Dhikala zone. Other than sultan forest lodge, all the forest lodges are covered with solar wire fencing for the safety of the people staying in the lodges. Out of all the lodges Dhikala forest lodge is the only lodge which has got electricity.

Dhikala zone is open for tourists from 15th Nov to 15th june every year and during the remaining period it remains closed due to monsoons as many streams cross the road leading to dhikala zone and it gets impossible to cross the streams due to high water levels and pressures. There are many tracks like thandi sadak, champion road, sambar road, car road, ram singh road, kamar patta, main road, moda dal road, shikari batiya developed in the Dhikala zone to enhance the chances of wildlife sighting.

Dhikala zone of Corbett national park can be visited by jeep only when one has the permit for staying within the forest lodges inside the dhikala zone. In case someone is staying in the resorts at the periphery of the national park, one can visit Dhikala zone by canters or open buses which are run by the forest department.

Our recommendation for the people visiting Dhikala zone if that one should keep the expectations low in terms of luxuries but staying at a location like lodges in Dhikala zone is a privilege and it is not a bad deal compromising on luxuries but getting unmatched nature and beauty.